"I think I caught something from the bird." Stellar looked up at her master questioningly. They both spent a little time in front of the fireplace while the others were already asleep. Actually, she knew that the taller one wanted to talk to her about something. He had been sliding back and forth on his chair for an hour as if he didn't know how to say it. Otherwise he always got to the point quickly.

"Do you have a fever?"

"No. So sometimes I feel strangely warm, but it could also be a different kind of fever." The singer continued to ponder over this.

"What about a headache?" Then she wanted to hear more.

"Admittedly, he sometimes gives me a headache, but .."

"Coughing and sneezing?"

"No, that hasn't happened yet. That is the strange thing. Still, I feel so ... indescribable. It's not really bad, but it's not good either."

"And the headache?" Then he rolled his eyes a little.

"I wonder more how you all can get none. Sometimes Chuck talks and talks as if there was no end to it. Then he looks at me more and more as if there was nothing more interesting around." It sounded like a complaint, but she knew better. For a change, the person opposite probably thought it was nice to speak to someone who is a little taller and does not run away with fear. At least not anymore.

"And then he smiles too. I'm sure he keeps making fun of me. For example, he said yesterday that my fur is softer than it looks at first glance. The bird even offered to help me brush it. How stupid is he actually?" Was asked, as if it were absurd.

"It wouldn't be bad if you comb it through properly from time to time." Added the figure from the music box.

"That is not the issue at all! Why is he suddenly acting so strange? I thought he would look out every day to see if he could make it through the snow or anything. But no, according to Sweets, this only happened once. On the same evening, the bird said that unfortunately he had to wait until spring before leaving. How can he say that if he can't look ahead all winter? I also thought he would hide in his room all season so that I could have my peace. I thought wrong. He hangs on my heels almost every day. 'Can I help you? Is there anything left for me to do?' When it comes to stupid punishment work, he has done it for me for a long time. As long as he stays away from my greenhouse, nothing else can happen." The taller one looked so particularly at the fire.

"Maybe he likes to be here." The ruler then started a sarcastic laugh.

"Yes of course. Everyone likes to be trapped in such a booth. But seriously, he could at least try to escape again. Unless .."

"What is it?" Asked the little lady.

"Exactly. He wants to go back into this room." The monster did not need to say more. Stellar knew immediately which room he was talking about.

"After all the turmoil, I remember that you instigated him to do it. What did you hope he would find there? The solution to all your problems?" Now the dancer was looked at exactly by her master and not exactly in a reassuring way.

"I thought .." She started apologetically.

"You thought he'd find something to put an end to all of this. That your life finally improves as you hope." It came out of the big man very reproachfully, but inwardly he could not blame the lady for looking for any clue that would bring change to this lousy life. He had tried long enough until he couldn't stand these headaches and fainting spells anymore and gave up.

Maybe the things in his head are not memories at all, but he was just trying to make his life nice inside. That's how he was born, even if he didn't know anything about his childhood or other previous events. Except for some details that didn't make sense. Maybe it was better that way. Unfortunately, that's why he tried hard to resist changes and the yellow bird didn't make it easy for him. The winters have been tough sometimes in recent years, but this time the season was really unfair to him because he had to deal with someone he couldn't just lock away. He could do that, but Stellar and the others wouldn't just accept it. If he was honest with himself, he couldn't really do it.

"No, I .." But she never got around to explaining.

"Do not lie to me! It is of no use to you. No matter what you think you see in your dreams, it is not that … What was that?" The master of the house turned away from the music box to look around the room. He sighed in exasperation when something yellow scurried around in a hurry.

"What is it, Chuck?" The running bird stopped there. The monster immediately noticed something about the smaller one and stepped closer.

"Why are you so wet?"

"Well, the window in the guest room suddenly broke and I wanted to fix it, but I didn't really manage it so well, because ..." Before the feathered man could finish his sentence, he was gripped by two large paws.

"You are also shivering. Do you want to catch a cold again?" The smaller one shook his head. The monster sniffed dissatisfied for a moment, took the blanket that was hanging over his chair and wrapped the bird in it before placing this by the fireplace.

"Be nice and stay here. I'd rather take a closer look at it myself." The tallest disappeared from the room and Stellar could only look at the yellow ones back in surprise. The candy bowl certainly meant that with strange behavior. So far, she hadn't noticed it because she couldn't move as quickly as the others. She saw that their master was finally a little more polite to Chuck and vice versa. Now she understood even less the conversation from before with the bigger one.

"You don't even shy away when he wants to touch you." She simply stated audibly and the bird turned his head to her, irritated.

"Why should I?" She was looked at obliquely, as if what was said was normal.

"Some time ago you ran away from him." She continued and the yellow's gaze turned to the fire, because the latter could not explain everything exactly.

"I should have listened to you much earlier. I have learned a lot in the past few days. We should have behaved differently from the start. Now it's not that important anymore. If I'm nice to him, he's nice to me too. Yes, he is sometimes a bit rough and stubborn, but I don't blame him after all this time alone." Then he noticed something and looked apologetically back at the music box.

"I didn't mean that you .." But Stellar knew exactly what he meant and so she shook her head, smiling a little sadly.

"That is alright. We are all a little lonely without .." When the sentence didn't go on, he looked over at her again. He could barely catch her eyes the way she was holding her head. Through his observation, he noticed that it was a gesture that almost everyone in the house had in common. The bird concluded that it had to do with whether the objects or the lord of the house wanted to remember something. Then they all seem to have a headache. While the biggest one tried to suppress it, probably because of the blackouts that came with it, the character out of the music box forced herself to regain something.

"Without what?" He inquired to get her to continue talking.

"Someone? Yes, without someone. Aren't you lonely without your wife?" One thing the bird didn't want to be reminded of. Because what would his new friends think if he drove a lady out of shortage of money to marry him.

Wait? Did he really think everyone here were his friends? Even the giant monster?

The answer would be a resounding yes. The landlord, who was the only one who did not give him a name, was indeed very tall, but for him it had not been a monster for a long time. He didn't even know exactly when he started to lose that fear altogether. When they both ate jam bread slices and the other's teeth looked so red again and he still didn't run away? Perhaps when the taller one scolded him not to walk so close to this one so that he would not be kicked accidentally. Or when they were sitting together in the fireplace room and everyone was reading a book and the other one suddenly started laughing? At least he held on to the fact that it was a laugh. Of course it was hushed up and the book was held up to the face when Chuck's gaze was noticed. The little thing made of paper and leather binding could hardly hide the big face and that made him smile, because the master of the house was completely normal. Well, it already had some idiosyncrasies. But other birds did that too. The red specimens from the locked room came back to him. Above all, this simple picture that was destroyed. Those eyebrows ...

"Chuck?" The little woman pulled him out of his thoughts, even if he wanted to hold on to them, because maybe it helped solve the puzzle. He never tried to solve anything when no task was set.

"Yes, of course I miss her." The village more and my house, he thought and everything seemed so far away. At the same time, he found that spring could take its time. He didn't know why, but since the danger has decreased, everything seems like a fairy tale. But he wasn't a princess captured by a cruel monster. Nor would a handsome prince trudge on a noble steed to save him.

Nevertheless, it seemed magical with the talking objects and the landlord. But were there really spells, curses, and other magical things? If so, who or what enchanted everyone here? He couldn't ask anyone, because they all didn't know that here. It is still a theory with little evidence, but he no longer believed that the landlord just entered this building. This lived here before. That said, this must be one of the red birds with these eyebrows. But why were the other birds turned into these objects and only one into such a large shape?

"Would you like to share your thoughts with me?" Stellar reminded the yellow one again that he wasn't alone here.

"Have you ever seen red birds here on the estate?"

"Unfortunately, not since this pictures that once hung on the wall." She answered thoughtfully, because the bird that got lost here years ago was not red. His plumage was green in color. Although, she couldn't say that exactly now.

"Wait, you've never been in the room. How do you know they were hanging on the wall?"

"The pictures once hung all over the place. The lord taking them off is almost the first thing I can remember. No matter why he did it, he obviously no longer knows it himself." She discussed and sighed, because more information about it will probably not come from the bigger one. No matter whether he remembered something or not.

"Do you think there is a connection between him and the birds in the pictures?" Chuck asked, because he saw only one thing that was almost the same. These striking eyebrows of the bird that only got a wooden picture frame. The others also had some, but they were either not as thick or a more brownish color. Maybe these rich-looking birds have their brows just lessened. Some do this today too. For him it ended up in a blemish and he had to recreate the things. Unfortunately, they didn't have the right color in the house at the time and so his eyebrows came out in a lightly pink. Somehow he looked great, but at school birds laughed at him for it.

But away from embarrassing teenage days and back to the here and now. Maybe all the monsters of this kind had such strong brows and it was just a stupid coincidence that there were also those depicted in this simple picture. Nevertheless, the rage to destroy this painting looked very much like the owner of the house.

"The property belongs to our master, otherwise he wouldn't know every corner."

"Well, given the size, he wouldn't have been able to secretly look around for years. But what if the building has been empty for a long time?"

"Some corners look dusty, but I don't think it was uninhabited for a while." The figure replied thoughtfully, because the current owner paid too much attention to the property. He always felt sorry for his outbursts of rage afterwards. And who would take care of the facility if it didn't belong to you?

Or was it just because the landlord could only own this?

"Your way of thinking is already rubbing off on me. We are sticking to the fact that our master has lived here for a long time and that he is a good guy." The dancer said, so that they are both on the same wavelength.

"Yes, he really is. Even if he stubbornly wants to hide it." Chuck considered explaining more. Because what if they later find out what kind of guy he is and then chase him away? Nobody would let him freeze to death, but then he would be alone again in spring and summer.

Wait, no! His imagination really went through with him because he couldn't ask the others and the Lord to stay here longer. Maybe scurry home, clear things up, and then come back? No, he can't. Or?

"Honestly, I'm a little ashamed to have to confess that, but I can't really classify it because nobody has been as nice to me for a long time as all of you here." In the village some still greeted him, but he couldn't really make friends with anyone. Either because of his debt or birds didn't like him in general, because of his character traits. He wasn't staying here that long. Nevertheless, he noticed that at home he would probably be on his own again. The money from the wedding would only solve a part of his problems. But Gale clearly didn't seem interested in him. So why should he want to bind this poor woman to himself? Yes, because he didn't want to be alone and only thought of himself. Why did this fact hit him so much right now?

"What do you mean? Your wife ..." But Stellar was interrupted when the door to the fireplace room was opened again.

"I nailed the window shut for now. Worse things could have happened because there was a large icicle in the room. You can be glad that you were not killed. Damn, I haven't even thought of removing those things this year. Probably the ice things on the gutter around the house are so huge everywhere. I wanted to go out now, but I can't find the storm lamp anywhere." The taller guy wanted to take a close look at Chuck, because things like that didn't go away on their own, but this suddenly looked so depressed. The bigger one immediately wondered if he had said something wrong or did he become too loud when he spoke? That didn't seem to bother the bird otherwise, in the last few days.

"I'm sorry." It was apologized quietly and there was a slight whimper in the voice. He looked questioningly at the singer, but she shrugged unsuspectingly.

"Um .. You can't do anything for the broken window. But say, does something hurt? Were you maybe hit?" Without really wanting, the huge man got louder because he didn't know what to do when a tear rolled down a yellow cheek.

"I really beg your pardon because I was so selfish. I ..." The bird whined, because he was just becoming very aware that he couldn't have all this when he returned home. Yes, the homeowner talked to him sparingly, but it was getting better. And his other little friends were still here that he never got bored or had to deal with his thoughts alone. He didn't really want to show himself to be so vulnerable, but it just broke out of him and the water didn't want to stop running out of his eyes. Ashamed, he hid his face behind his wings.

"I'm ... really sorry." He said this again and wanted to hide in some dark corner that no one had to see his misery.

Suddenly he felt something. First lightly, then a little more. Someone stroked his head. Of course Chuck only saw blurry from the crying. But when he blinked the tears away, he saw a paw above him.

"Stop whining! I mean … I'm not good at comforting, but .." The yellow one put his arms around the presented thing. A few drops still rolled from his face, but it didn't bother him, because for the first time in a long time, someone was there for him. Otherwise he always cried himself to sleep alone in his nest at home. The other could have just ignored him and gone out again. But he bothered to try to make him feel a little better. He thought that was very nice.

"How long are you going to hang on to me?" The master of the house should sound more annoyed, but it came out more like a sigh. At first he didn't want to do anything because he had the talent to make such situations worse. But for Stellar to finally stop gesturing wildly in the background and because he really couldn't see the little one so sadly, he stretched out his paw to it. Very carefully, he stroked the sticking out dark feathers. Then he slowly went further down. When the feathered body winced, he thought he was overdoing it. The latter then clung to the end of his right arm and pressed his face into the inside of his paw. Then this guy whispered something warm and soft. He sat down with a sigh, because the previous pose was plaguing his back. The arm was also put on the floor and he didn't know why, but with his thumb claw he stroked the other over the head. For that he got a slight smile. Irritating moment, the big guy thought.

Actually, he could just shake off the nuisance, but then he looked back into the other's face and knew he couldn't do it. In the past few days, he hasn't done a lot where he thought he was capable of. Well, the other way around too. He started doing things that previously seemed impossible to him, and only because of this yellow jitterbug that now seemed very fragile. Another look at this one told him that they had been sitting there for a while and the smaller one had fallen asleep.

"We'll talk again tomorrow." The tallest one in the room announced and without another word from the figure in the box, he put the yellow bird with a blanket in his armchair. For one night it was ok to sleep in it. There were other guest rooms here, but because they weren't used, there was cold and probably a lot of dust in them.

He would take care of that tomorrow. So he put enough wood in the fireplace to keep it warm for a while, because he found that the little creatures could not freeze or catch a cold. This could already happen to his very lively guest and he wants to avoid that.

When he finally lay in his bed, he had to recognize, for better or worse, that this yellow visitor changed some things here. Just like that and without being asked beforehand. He thought that his life had normalized. As normal as it was in this size. He had to distance himself from civilization because of its looks. That's why he no longer dared to leave the forest. He still knew where the next village was. So the approximate direction anyway. The snow just messed him up because the white stuff made everything look the same.

When was the last time he walked into the village? He knows that he has lived elsewhere before. But he didn't seem to remember being chased away. Did he suppress such memories or did it really not happen? No one would want a monster like him. The bird in his house was right. Still, it didn't seem like the guy was still afraid of him, the way the bird stuck to him every day. Somehow he liked this closeness. Another voice in him said that he should stay away from this yellow creature, because it would only cause trouble for him.

There were things in his head that didn't make sense. But it wouldn't do anything either pondering over it all night. So he finally tried to sleep before the urge to look into the fireplace room got too strong.